Fourteen Candles
by David J. Warner
Summary: Act V of "The Bucktown Timeline": Jubilee gets a special birthday present.


FOURTEEN CANDLES 

A Generation X Tale 

written by David J. Warner 

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This story (C) Copyright 1996 David J. Warner. All X-Men and Generation X characters used within this story are the intellectual property of the Marvel Comics Company. All rights reserved. 

This manuscript is freely distributable via print or electronic means. Sale for profit of this story without the expressed written consent of David J. Warner and the Marvel Comics Company is strictly prohibited. 

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PART ONE -- THE SEARCH 

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Tuesday morning training session, 7:35 a.m. Seven weeks ago. 

It seemed simple enough. All Charles Xavier Lehnscherr, the "exchange student" known as Manchild, had to do was fly a preset course through the biosphere using his newly-discovered powers of flight. Four of his classmates -- Husk, Skin, Chamber and Mondo -- were unable to stop him. Nothing seemed like it would stop him, until the third- youngest student in the school, Jubilation Lee, jumped on his back and popped two firecrackers close to his ears. 

Manchild lost his balance and fell to the ground, the ringing in his head reminding him of the world from whence he came. 

"All that power," he said to Jubilee, "all that intelligence, and you still didn't save me when you could have. (-1-) No wonder the X-Men made you come here." 

He ducked the fireworks that exploded inches from his face. 

"I told you that wasn't me, you little brat!", Jubilee replied. "It's not my fault that your three-year-old brain can't tell the difference!" 

She ran out of the biosphere in a huff, ignoring all of her instructors' orders for her not to leave. She was found sitting at the edge of a pond halfway across campus, her yellow overcoat shielding her from the cold morning air. 

"Jube?" 

"I don't wanna talk about it, Ev. That bio-enhanced baby had it coming." 

Everett Thomas, a/k/a Synch, often thought of himself as a big brother to the family of mutants at Xavier's. It is a role he welcomed when he enrolled here, especially for the sake of Jubilee, who has too few friends on campus as it is. 

"I'm not saying he didn't deserve it," he replied, "but you have to understand--" 

"Understand what?", Jubilee interrupted. "That he's from this dark, evil otherworld where I did something so heinous to him that he has to keep punching me in the nose with it? Hel-LOOOO! I had nothing to *do* with that!" 

Everett decided it best to not answer. He instead sat down next to Jubilee and watched the mist rise from the pond with her. 

"He's been through just about everything I have," Jubilee said finally. "His parents were killed, he was somehow teleported into some strange new world, he hung out with a mutant team for a while, he confronted his worst enemy and was talked out of killing him, and now he's here. You'd think we'd be best buds, but noooo, all he does is kick me for something my alternate self did, while *she* gets all the attention." 

Everett looked back at Jubilee's scowl. "This isn't about Charles, is it?" 

"I was the one with all the experience, Ev," Jubilee replied. "I was the one who was supposed to be H.M.I.C. around here. She's turning him against me, Ev. I just know it. This place would be a whole lot more bearable without super-priss hanging around here." 

"H.M.I.C.?", asked a puzzled Everett. 

"Head mutie in charge," Jubilee said. "Perkolater made it up." 

Everett's grin slowly turned into a laugh, and before she realized what was happening, Jubilee was laughing with him, her head leaning on his shoulder. 

"Ev," she said finally, "thanks." 

"For what?", he replied. "I didn't really do anything." 

"You're the only one around here who doesn't judge me," she said. "You accept me regardless of whatever. I'd probably go nuts if you weren't around. You're a good guy, Ev. Don't ever lose that." 

"I'll do my best," he replied. 

"And we would ask the same of you, Miss Lee." 

Headmistress Emma Frost's voice reminded them that class was still in session. The remorseful look on Manchild's face as he stood beside her only emphasized that fact. 

"Charles has something to say to you, Jubilation," said Emma. "Charles?" 

He took a deep breath to compose himself before beginning. "I have been working hard these last few days with both Miss Frost and Monet to organize all these thoughts swirling inside my head. They say that I'm making great progress, but sometimes, I find myself relapsing into the five-year-old that insulted you today." 

Jubilee noted his sincerity and resisted the notion to snap back at him. 

"What I said to you was wrong, because it was meant to hurt you, and it was misguided anger at something that you really didn't do. I apologize for that, and I hope that this doesn't create any animosity between us." 

"Don't worry," Jubilee replied. "I'm saving the animosity for your girlfriend." 

Manchild looked puzzled. "Is that a good thing, Miss Frost?" 

"It's close enough," she groaned. 

Jubilee got up from the ground and looked Manchild in the eye. "Look, Charles," she said, "I know you've been through the mill and all that, and you probably know Monet isn't my favorite person in the world. I was just thinkin' that...well, with all the new faces around here, I could, like, start over...make some new buds, ya know? I mean, my best friend around here is in a coma half the time. I need to be doin' better than that, ya know?" 

Emma cleared her throat loudly to get Jubilee's attention. 

"And I apologize to you," she said. "I shouldn't have thrown those fireworks at you like that." 

"Thank you," Manchild replied. "I understand the custom is to shake hands on this, but since that would initiate skin-to-skin contact and--" 

"Shut up and hug me, ya big baby." 

Synch smiled as Jubilee and Manchild embraced. "I'll make a deal with you," Jubilee said. "You forget about that little incident the other me did, and I'll try to be nice to Monet for once." 

"I can agree to that," Manchild replied. 

"Not to be rude," Emma interrupted, "but at the moment, none of you are in class where you should be." 

"Sure we are, Miss Frost," said Everett, "and I'd say these two are passing Life 101 with flying colors..." 

--- 

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Headmaster's cottage. Today, about 7:30 p.m. 

"You both know about the place where Monet and I go when we are alone together," says Charles, rubbing his hands as he sits between his instructors, Sean Cassidy and Emma Frost, at the kitchen table. "Both of us have had our share of childhood traumas, and when we play together on the beach, it helps us come to terms with them subconsciously. I'm not fully sure how, but it works. (-2-) Last night, however, I could sense that somebody else was there." 

"Were ye able to see th' person, Charles?", asks Sean. 

"I thought so, but I wasn't sure," he replies. "At first, I thought it was an image of my mother looking out for us, but when I looked a little more closely, I could tell it was a man, even though I couldn't make out his face." 

"Did he seem threatening to you?", asks Emma. 

"Not that I could sense, no," Charles says. "In fact, more than anything, he seemed sad when he looked at me. I could see something coming out of his eye." 

"Could ye tell why he may've been sad?", asks Sean. 

Charles shakes his head. 

"Well, if he's not a threat to you, I wouldn't worry about it just yet," Emma says. "Let us know if anything else happens, though." 

"Of course," he replies, leaning back in his chair. "Now I need to tell you why I'm really here." 

"Go right ahead, lad," says Sean. 

"Jubilee's birthday is tomorrow," says Charles, "and I have been at a loss as to what I should get for her." 

"Egad, Charles," says Sean, "ye tell us this now, an hour and a half before th' bleatin' stores close?" 

"Well, everyone else seems to have gotten her something, either by themselves or as a group effort," Charles says, "and since it was *their* idea, I really didn't feel like I could be a part of that." 

"Ye couldn'ave, Charles," says Sean. "Ye donnae have any money." 

"Unless Monet gives you an allowance," returns Emma. 

"Emma!", sneers Sean. 

"It's not that, Miss Frost," says Charles. "I guess I just feel like I need to make it up to her, after all the friction between us early on." 

"Water under th' bridge, lad," says Sean. "Jubilee will nae be upset if ye didn' get her a big present. The fact that ye came back here is almost present enough, seein' as it helped decrease the tension between her and Monet." 

"We could always say you chipped in to get her something," says Emma. 

"That would be dishonest, though," replies Charles. 

"Worse lies have been told, Charles," she says. "Just ask Monet." Sean shakes his head at her remark. 

"I tell ye what, lad," he says. "Ye should ask th' others what they think. Maybe ye could get an idea or two." 

"That's a good idea," says Charles as he gets up from the table. "I'll do that. Thanks, Mister Cassidy." 

"Any time, lad," Sean replies. "Th' door is always open." 

Emma clears her throat. 

"Well, almost always." 

Charles smiles back at his instructors as he leaves. "Oh, and Charles?" 

"Yes, Mister Cassidy?" 

"Next week, I'd appreciate it kindly if ye let *me* teach the physics class." 

Charles sighs. "Forgive me, Mister Cassidy. Part of having my father's memories in my mind is having both his knowledge and his love of science with me all the time. As a result, I tend to get a little carried away sometimes." 

"Understood, lad. Just try to keep that love under control next time." 

"I'll do my best." 

--- 

Worthington Natatorium. 8:00 p.m. 

Never mind the homework. Never mind all the long, grueling hours of training. Right now, as she towels off by the indoor swimming pool in a red, one-piece swimsuit, her friend at her side, Jubilation Lee doesn't have a care in the world. 

Well, maybe she has *one* care. 

"I tell ya, Penny," she says, "all this time we've spent here, and we're *still* the only girls on campus who don't have dates. My birthday is tomorrow, too. How lame is that?" 

"It could be worse," replies Penance. 

Jubilee looks back at her friend and smiles. "You're right," she says, sitting down in front of her. "God, I never thought I'd be thanking Emma Frost for anything, but I am so happy that we can talk now. I was worried that you'd never come outta that shell ol' Snufalupagus put you in." 

"It has been hard," Penance replies, "but...I am starting to feel more comfortable here." She reaches her hand out to Jubilee. "Feel my finger." 

Jubilee slowly puts her index finger on Penance's, rubbing the elongated, claw-like digit slowly. "Killer," she whispers, her mouth open in amazement. "Your skin's actually softening..." 

"Miss Frost believes that I can...control how sharp my skin is," Penance says. "It will take time, but I'm feeling...stronger now." 

Jubilee searches her friend's eyes, trying to find the girl her friend was before she was captured by their teammate's brother. "Who were you, Penny?", she says. "Who were you before he took you away from everyone?" 

Penance tenses up at Jubilee's words, slowly drawing away from her. 

"Ow!" Jubilee pulls her finger off of Penance's hand, seeing a tiny droplet of blood flow from a small, horizontal cut in her skin. She puts the finger in her mouth to try and ease the pain, seeing Penance slowly shy away. 

"It's too soon, isn't it?", says Jubilee. 

"I'm...I'm sorry." 

"No, Penny, I'm sorry. That was way stupid of me, anyway. No talk till you're ready, deal?" 

Penance nods, the corners of her mouth trying their best to smile for her friend. They're both distracted by the glow of a rainbow in the deep end of the pool. 

"Thought you ladies would have dates tonight," says Everett. The lower part of his body is as translucent as the water. 

"Puh-LEEZE!", replies Jubilee, splashing at him with her hand. "You losers haven't even planned a party for me, much less tried to blow up a building here with me." 

"You don't honestly want to be like Jonothon, do you?", says Mondo, emerging in water form in front of Penance, who jumps back at the sight of him. He returns to his normal form instantly. "Just me, Penance," he says. "See?" 

"Don't blame us, Jube," says Everett as he swims over to the edge of the pool where she sits. "We wanted to throw a big bash for you, but the drill sergeants won't let us." 

"Figures," she replies. "Don't let the White Queen -- bow your head now or die -- catch anyone having any fun around here without her divine blessing. Even the Hellions had a freakin' party once in a while." 

Everett shrugs, unable to wipe the grin off his face. 

"What?", says Jubilee. 

"Nothing," replies Synch. 

"Don't 'nothing' me, prism boy," replies Jubilee, getting in Everett's face. "You know something, and I *know* you know something. Give up the 411, pal. Now!" 

"It's not what you think, Jube," he says. "I was just thinking how good it was to...be myself again." (-3-) 

"Oh," says Jubilee, backing away from him sheepishly. "Geez, ya didn't have to make me feel like such a dork about it." 

"Trust me, I didn't mean to," he replies. "It just feels good to hang out like this, ya know, without having that Emplate bastard control any of my actions. Having those extra mouths got to be a pain. It's bad enough I have to be some mutant vampire -- now I have to brush *three* sets of teeth?" 

Jubilee and Penance giggle, while Mondo lets out a hearty belly laugh. As Jubilee smiles at Everett, he slowly turns more serious. 

"Jube," he says, "we never talked about...what happened in that warehouse." (-4-) 

"And we're not going to," she replies. "Bansh and I talked about it back at the main mansion. It was just one of those things, ya know? I was being a big enough dweeb to keep fighting all those robots, anyway. You did what you had to do, we're all alive, end of story. Cool?" 

Everett nods. "Cool." 

"But if it happens again," she says, smacking him on top of his bald head, "I'm kickin' your sorry butt back to St. Louis." 

Mondo and Penance watch as Everett pulls Jubilee into the water. As they laugh at the scene playing out in front of them, he turns back to her, placing a finger to his lips and winking. 

"Shhhh," he says silently. Penance nods. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

PART TWO -- THE GIFT 

Boys' dormitory recreation room. 9:00 p.m. 

Angelo Espinosa wraps the extra skin on his fingers around the back of the cue stick and gives his teammate a befuddled glance. 

"Three-way?", he says. "Never heard of that before, amigo." 

"Look, man, Chuck here's never even heard of *pool* before," replies Rayquan Morris, pointing at his friend, Charles Lehnscherr, next to him. "We might as well play a game with all three of us. It's real simple -- we each get five balls, either one to five, six to ten, or eleven to fifteen, depending on what gets sunk first. We call all balls and pockets, and the first one to sink all his balls wins the game." 

"I'd rephrase that if I were you, bloke," says Jonothon Starsmore, a/k/a Chamber, who sits with his girlfriend, Paige Guthrie, a/k/a Husk, on the couch across from the poll table, watching the television. His lower face is wrapped tightly in leather strips. 

"You just shut up," replies Rayquan. "We can't even pull your whipped ass away from Miss Kentucky for two minutes for some two-on- two action." 

"I guess some people know the finer things in life when they see them," replies Paige. 

"Then what's he doin' with you, country mouse?", says Angelo. 

"Naff off, Skin," says Jono. 

Rayquan holds out his hand. "Yo, give it up, Ange," he says, slapping fives with Angelo and turning to his other friend on his left. 

"You ready to play, Chuck?" Charles stands silently with his cue stick in hand, staring through the billiards table. "Yo, Chuck? Where ya at, kid?" 

"Hmmm? Oh, yes, are we starting?", says Charles. 

"I'm sorry -- did I break your concentration?", yells Rayquan in mock anger. Angelo doubles over chortling. "We goin' down the path of the righteous man tonight, Chuck? Van Damme!" 

"I'm sorry, guys," says Charles. "I'm just a little distracted right now." 

"We can't pull you away from your girl, either, huh?", says Angelo. 

"It's not that," Charles replies. "It's Jubilee. I feel bad about not getting her anything for her birthday." 

"Don't sweat it, Chuck," replies Rayquan. "Considerin' what she's gettin', she won't even notice. We all chipped in on stuff. Besides, you helped out with the decorations and all, right?" 

"I know," says Charles, "but that doesn't seem like enough. The custom is for everyone to give something nice to the person celebrating his or her birthday, but I don't feel like I've really given Jubilee anything." 

"You know, Charles," chimes in Paige, "instead of getting something for Jubilee, why don't you *do* something for her? I'm sure she would appreciate a little token gesture." 

Charles ponders Paige's suggestion for a moment. 

"She could always use 'elp wit' 'er physics 'omework," says Jono. Charles ignores Jono's sarcasm and suddenly gets an idea. 

"That's a great idea, Paige," he says, putting the cue stick back on its mount on the wall. "Thanks." With that, he flies out of the lounge and toward his room. 

"Great," says Rayquan, watching Charles leave. "Now I only got *one* ass to whip tonight." He turns to Angelo and grins. 

"Bring it on, gringo." 

As Rayquan breaks the rack with the cue ball, Charles takes a seat in front of his computer and pours over the available files on his classmate for hours, looking for something that might provide a hint toward a worthy birthday present for her. He pours over files of her earlier adventures with the X-Men, studying digital video and progress reports, reading personal anecdotes from teammates and friends. Finally, as he glances over theories on her mutant pyrotechnics, he sees a road less traveled, and after endless keystrokes to build his theory, he reads over his gift to her one last time. 

*What do you think, love?*, he says psionically. 

*It's perfect, Charles,* replies Monet. *She will love it.* 

--- 

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Girl's temporary sleeping quarters. Too early. 

"Yo, Jube! You joinin' the real world today?" 

Jubilation Lee is trying to ignore the knocking at her bedroom door. Rayquan Morris won't let her. 

"'S'go, Jube!," he shouts through the door. "Frosty says she's gonna bring the pain like Method Man if you don't get up!" 

"As if," Jubilee mutters to herself as she shifts uncomfortably on the mattress. "She'll probably have us training on Christmas morning, the way she operates." 

"C'mon, Jube!", Rayquan continues. "My knuckles are bleedin' from all this knockin'!" 

"Save it, Perk," Jubilee finally replies. "I, like, deserve so much better than this on my birthday. Besides, I've got plenty of... time..." 

Jubilee looks at her alarm clock. It reads 7:13. The training session began at 7:00. 

"SHIT!" 

Rayquan backs away from the door and purses his lips to keep from laughing out loud. He hears Jubilee rush noisily out of bed and fumble through the closet for her uniform. 

"Perkolater," she shouts, "You tell that hayseed roommate of mine that the moment I step into the grotto, she is DEAD!" 

"Whatever you say, Jube," Rayquan replies. He enacts his caffeine-fueled mutant power and takes off like a comet out of the building. Jubilee follows behind, quickly throwing her yellow overcoat and ruby red visor in position as she stumbles out of the room and down the hall. 

"Ooooh, that little redneck is gonna get it," she mutters angrily under her breath, "making me late for the training session this morning, and on my freakin' *birthday* no less. It's bad enough that I have to turn fourteen, the most nothing age in all teenagerdom, and that I'm barely even getting a party tonight, if at all, but THIS?" 

As Jubilee races toward the biosphere, she runs her fingers through the greasy mop of her hair. "Great," she mutters, "and a bad hair day on top of all this, too. Murphy must be laughing at me right now." 

She hurdles the brick and concrete steps and storms into the biosphere control room, more than eager to pick a fight with her fellow classmate. 

"Paige Guthrie!", she shouts, "If you EVER pull a STUNT like that AGAIN, so help...me..." 

Jubilee stands stunned in front of her instructors and all her classmates, who are all arranged around a table, upon which sits two gift-wrapped boxes and a birthday cake covered with pink and blue icing. Balloons and streamers surround a banner hung from the ceiling that reads "Happy Birthday, Jube!" 

"SURPRIIIIIIIISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

Synch stands in front of the table and begins clapping rhythmically. The other students clap along with them, except for Mondo, who begins pounding a set of bongo drums, Banshee, who stands in front of a small electronic keyboard, and Manchild, who holds his guitar and leads the rest of the group in song. 

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da 

"You say it's your birthday!" 

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da 

"It's my birthday, too, yeah!" 

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da 

"You say it's your birthday!" 

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da 

"We're gonna have a good time!" 

They complete one verse of the song together, ending in a flourish of chords and yelps. Jubilee watches them all, her hand over her mouth in near total disbelief. As the group applauds her, Synch walks up to her and holds out his arms. 

"Happy birthday, Jube," he says, a wide smile stretched across his face. 

Jubilee bows her head and slowly forms as wide a grin as her friend's. "You guys," she says, shaking her head, then giving Synch as big a bear hug as she can muster. She then walks up to the table and looking at the icing on her cake -- a pink, blue and yellow artist's rending of her, with candles in the shape of the numbers one and four standing on the right-hand corner of the cake. 

"So who's gonna light the candles?", she says. 

"We decided to let ye do it yeself, lass," replies Banshee. Jubilee smirks at him, then snaps her fingers at the candles, setting off tiny pyrotechnic pafs on both that light them. She then takes a moment to make a wish and finally blows them out to much applause. 

Perkolater then sneaks over to the cake and slowly lifts the candles out, sucking the icing off of them. "I'm savin' these for *my* birthday party," he says. 

Jubilee looks down to see Penance squatting beside her, looking up at her with a smile. "Care to do the honors, Penny?", Jubilee says, motioning toward the cake. Penance replies by lifting her hand up and using her sharp fingers to slice the cake slowly into fifteen even pieces. 

"Happy birthday," she says finally. 

As Banshee and M distribute the cake and ice cream, Emma Frost steps forward with an open envelope in her hand. 

"I have a letter I want to read to you," she says, taking the letter from the envelope and reading it. 

"Dear Jubilee, congratulations on this momentous occasion in your life. I hope Sean and Emma let you enjoy yourself today, since you deserve it. My only wish is that we could have been there to celebrate it with you. I know Logan would have loved to share the day with you. Nevertheless, we're all proud of you, and we hope this is your best birthday yet. Love and happiness, Scott & Jean." 

A chorus of "awwww" echoes through the room. "I wish Wolvie coulda been here, too," she says with a hint of regret in her voice. 

"It's a'ight, Jube," says Synch. "I know he's thinkin' about you right now." 

"Yeah," she replies, smiling at her memories of him. 

Husk steps forward and grabs a box off the table. "We all chipped in and got you a few presents--" 

"Gimme!", shouts Jubilee, who drops the cake and runs around the table toward the largest box, ripping its paper free and opening it up quickly. Her eyes widen in delight. 

"Whoa!", she says. "A new trenchcoat!" 

She lifts the full-length jacket out of the box and admires it. 

"It's waterproof, fireproof, *and* spark-proof," says Synch. "We asked the guy at the store if it was Penance-proof, but he just looked at us funny." 

Penance wrinkles her nose at Synch as Jubilee takes off her old jacket and strikes a pose in her new one. 

"Jubilation Lee," she says in a mock announcer's voice, "private eye, ear, nose and throat." 

By the time everyone stops laughing, Jubilee is already halfway through the wrapping paper on the other box. "Whoa!," she exclaims. "Descent II! Cool!" (-1-) 

"It's the site license version," says Monet, "so you can officially install it on up to eight computers if you want." 

"How about your computer?", Jubilee replies. "I wanna shot to beat you at something for once." 

"We'll see," says a grinning Monet. 

Mondo hands her another box. "This one's from me, Penny and Banshee." 

"Gee, I wonder where the money came from for that," she quips as she opens the present. "Yes!", she says, "a new CD walkman! You remembered!" 

"It was a bit hard to forget," says Mondo. (-2-) 

Jubilee smiles. "Thanks, guys," she says. 

"Don't settle down just yet, lass," says Banshee. "We've got one more present for ye, and I think ye'll like this one. Charles?" 

Manchild slowly steps forward with a clipboard in his hand. "As all of you could probably tell by yesterday's physics class," he begins, "I've got a lot of my father in me." 

"Got that right," says Skin as others chortle in agreement. 

"Well," Manchild continues, "part of having my father's memories in my head all the time involves having with me both his love of science and his fascination with how mutant powers really work. I was thinking long and hard for something I could give you, Jubilee, and I think I may have found it right here." 

He holds up the clipboard and looks through a couple of papers attached to it. "I was studying your mutant abilities last night, when I came across something interesting. It seems that much of your power is based on controlling the temperature and resonance of air molecules around you. This started manifesting itself, of course, in your pyrotechnic displays, which at times have proven to be most destructive. I looked over some of your files, though, and I noticed that you have the potential other capabilities beyond simply shooting fireworks, or creating other explosions. You may remember Synch showing you some of those abilities during your encounter with the Phalanx some time ago." 

"Don't remind me," says Jubilee. "That big robot dweeb is best forgotten." 

"I can believe that," Manchild replies. "But I thought about what you might be capable of doing, and I theorized that, if you can alter the atmosphere around you enough so that it could explode in pyrotechnic displays, perhaps you could also generate these...thermal currents, so to speak..." 

"Spit it out, Charlie," says Jubilee. "What are you sayin'?" 

Manchild holds out a hand to her. "If you'd come with me into the grotto, Jubilee," he says, "I'd like to teach you how to fly." 

Her eyebrows shoot up in amazement, looking around the room and seeing everyone smiling proudly at her. "Uh...ub...uh, s-sure," she stammers finally. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

PART THREE -- THE LESSON 

Jubilee and Synch stand side by side in full uniform by the treehouse by the entrance of the Danger Grotto. Manchild stands beside them, getting a thumbs up signal from Banshee. 

"The first thing I want you to do, Jubilee, is just relax," Manchild begins. "This may take a little time to accomplish, so just be patient and let it happen. Don't try to force anything." 

"Sure," she shrugs, shaking herself to loosen up. "Whatever." 

"Go ahead and synch with her, Everett," he says to Synch, who lets his mutagenic aura flow from his body and around Jubilee. "I asked Everett to join us because I think he may be able to demonstrate some of the techniques you would need to become airborne." 

"Five bucks says I pull this off before you do," says Synch. 

"Children, please," says Emma into the control room microphone. "This is an exhibition, not a competition." 

"Please, as always," echo Skin and Perkolater, "no wagering." 

"Hold your hands parallel to the ground like this," Manchild continues, demonstrating for Jubilee and Synch, "and don't try to push the pyrotechnics out of your hands. Just let your powers flow through them, very gently at first, just to get the feel for it." 

Both Jubilee and Synch follow Manchild's instructions and, at first, fill up each other's shoes with sparks. 

"Crap!", Jubilee says, backing away. "That ain't workin'." 

"It will, though," says Manchild. "I promise. Like I said, don't try to push anything. Just relax and let it happen." 

Several minutes pass with similar results, until suddenly, both Synch and Jubilee feel a slight different sensation coming from their hands. 

"Humph," says Jubilee, whose hands still generate an occasional paf. Synch's hands, however, produce no such explosions. 

"That's kinda neat," says Synch. "It's like I'm generating these small fans blowing hot air. I can actually see the heat coming out of our hands. You feel that, Jube?" 

"Sorta," she replies. "I'm still sparkin' things up a little, though." 

"Don't dwell on that, Jubilee," says Manchild. "You're already making progress. You're doing just fine." As he encourages them both to be patient and not to force anything, he turns in his mind to M, who stands up in the control room watching them. 

*Am I doing the right thing, Monet?*, he says telepathically. *Am I just getting their hopes up for no reason, only to disappoint them in the end?* 

*Nonsense, my love,* M replies. *Your theory is as sound as any your father had before you, maybe even more so. You told me what he was capable of doing for Iceman.* 

*I know, Monet,* Charles replies, *but this seems like so much for a girl so young. I fear that if this quest turns up fruitless, I may never regain the small amount of trust I have earned from her.* 

*You're closer to success than you think, Charles,* she replies. *Trust me.* 

At that point, Synch slowly feels himself being pushed into the air. "Whoa!", he says, stumbling forward to keep from falling over. 

"Whazzat all about?", says Jubilee. 

"That's about Manchild here being on point," Synch replies. "I tried to increase the force that my hands were generating from your powers, and I swear I felt myself being lifted off the ground, just from that thrust. You got somethin' there, Jube. I can sense it." 

Jubilee cocks an eyebrow and rubs her chin. "Ya really think so?", she says. 

"We all do, Jubilation," says M. "Just be patient. It will come to you, we promise." 

Manchild and Synch work with her, help her transform the sparks in her hands into pure heat, which blows lightly but visibly toward the ground and back up again. Her pyrotechnic pafs continue to scatter through the trail of hot air, however, and as Manchild wipes the sweat off his forehead, Jubilee tries once more generate enough thrust to move herself. Instead, she releases another flurry of fireworks, this one forcing both her teammates to the ground for cover. 

"Oh, jeez," she says. "Are you guys okay?" 

"Don't worry about me, Jubilee," Manchild replies, waving away the smoke. "I'll be *cough cough* just fine." 

"Unnnngh!", she growls, throwing her forearms over her face. "I'm never gonna get this!" 

"Hey, you calm down," Synch replies firmly. "We ain't gonna get anywhere *cough cough* with that negative attitude. Now let's just do this, a'ight?" 

Jubilee sighs. "C'mon, guys," she says. "It's gonna take me weeks to get this." 

"Ye've gotten this far in less than an hour, lass," Banshee says from the control room. "A little more, and ye might have it." 

As Jubilee rolls her eyes toward the people in the control room, Synch sneaks up behind her and gives her shoulders a rubdown. "You ain't been listenin'," he says. "Before anything else, you need to relax." 

"Relax?", Jubilee says, her head rolling backward in response to Synch's hands. "Oooooh, this is just gonna put me to sleep. You're way too good at this, ya know." 

"I know," Synch replies, "but I'll make a deal with ya -- I'll keep rubbing if you keep trying." 

Jubilee smiles. "Bet," she replies as she lets her palms face the ground again, a mixture of heat and sparks flying down from them. Little by little, she increases the pressure of the heat coming from her hands, trying calmly to ignore the small explosions happening at odd intervals around her. As she emits her strongest force yet, Synch slowly removes his hands from her shoulders. 

"Aw, c'mon on, Ev," she partially whines. "Why'd ya stop?" 

"'Cause I can't reach anymore." 

Her eyes pop wide open. Immediately, she looks down and sees she is at least five feet off the ground, tiny explosions falling through the heat trails coming off her hands. 

"Omigod," she says, more out of shock than anything else. "Omigodomigodomigod! I'm in the air! I'm in the air!" 

She looks down at her hand, then lifts it up to get a closer look at the force flowing from it. Before she can see a thing, however, she flies out of control to her right. "Whoaaaaaaaaaa*OOF*!" 

"I forgot to tell you," Manchild says, catching her and holding her aloft, "that since your hands are creating the thrust that allows you to hover, moving them too quickly will cause you to lose control." 

"Well, DUH!", she sneers. "Now put me down so I can do that again." 

Manchild sets her down where she was before, and she looks back at Synch for his assistance. 

"I can see it now," he sighs. "Right in the middle of a battle. 'Ev? I'm going airborne on him. Gimme a backrub.'" 

"Shyeah, right," she replies. "Just help me out here, okay?" 

Again, Jubilee puts her shoulders in Synch's able hands, letting her own hands release the combination of flowing heat and pyrotechnics that helped lift her before. This time, she closes her eyes and feels every inch of the sky into which she rises. She feels her toes slowly lose touch with the grass below, and she looks up to see that she is moments away from reaching eye level with all her friends in the control room. She hears the occasional paf emerge from her hand and trail beneath her, but she ignores them. She ignores nearly every sound around her as she hovers among the branches, the joy of her newfound flight embedded in her eyes. 

Slowly, she adjusts the position of her hands, turning first to her left, then to her right. She twists her wrists so that her palms face just slightly to her back, and she begins to move forward. They twist the other way, and she moves backwards. She raises and lowers her arms, pretending to jump in mid-air, her feet seemingly miles away from the ground. 

The longer she stays in the air, the more confidence she gains. She begins to turn slow, wide circles around the treetops, then diving through branches and looping high into the air toward the biosphere ceiling. As she touches the artificial sky, she lets her powers subside, somersaulting down the ground, then releasing the thrust from her hands again halfway down, a light flurry of sparks exploding as she slows her descent. She lifts herself into the air again and flies back toward the control room, where some watch her with awe, some with disbelief, some with pride. 

She watches as Banshee leans into the microphone. "Happy Birthday, Jubilee," he says softly. She closes her eyes and lifts her head heavenward, understanding for the first time what it really means to fly. 

At that point, she looks down to see Synch nearly doubled over laughing. 

"What's so funny?", she says. 

"You sound like my Uncle Mack's old hooptie," he says. "We're gonna have to put a silencer on your tail pipe!" 

Jubilee hears the popping of sparks that still fly from her hands, and dives at him. "You are *so* dead!", she threatens comically. She chases him through the air as he runs away, but she comes too close to the ground and slides to a halt in the grass. 

"Nuts," she grunts through her teeth, throwing a spark in Synch's direction in frustration. 

"That's okay, Jubilee," says Manchild, who jogs up behind her and gets down on one knee to help her up. "This is all new to you, so you will need some time to adjust, to learn everything you can do with this ability. With time and a little training, you should be a pro at this." 

"That was just *so* rad, Charlie," she says to him, rolling to the side and sitting up. "It was almost like I was a bird, and I was just...just..." 

She shakes her head, unable to find the right words, and simply reaches up to hug Manchild. "Oh, thank you, Charlie," she coos. "Thank you so much." 

"It was my pleasure, Jubilee," he replies. 

*By the way, Jubilee,* Emma Frost says to her telepathically, *in honor of your birthday, I've decided to cancel our training session on Christmas morning.* 

"You're all heart, teach," thinks Jubilee. 

--- 

Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters. Lobby outside library computer lab. 11:55 a.m. 

"C'mon, someone pick up over there," Jubilee says, holding the phone between her head and shoulder, hearing the rings on the other end. "If I don't tell Wolvie about this, I'm gonna explode." 

A familiar Cajun voice finally comes through the other end of the line. "Xavier Institute." 

"Gambit?", says Jubilee. "That you?" 

"Well, I'll be a black-eyed pea," Gambit replies. "It's my favorite li'l firecracker. How you doin', Jubilee?" 

"I'm doin' great today, Caj'," she says. "Just great." 

"Fly on the wall tol' me today yo' birthday, petit. How ol' you be now?" 

"Fourteen." 

"Ah, I wish I coul' be fourteen again." 

"You gotta put Wolvie on the phone for me, Gambit. I've got somethin' big to tell him today." 

"Well...would that I could, petit, but Wolverine been kinda under the weather. He may not be up to talkin' much right now." 

The enthusiasm slowly drains from her voice. "Why? What happened?" 

"Ah, petit...Don' know how I could say this...Shouldn' have t' hear this from me..." 

"Don't sugarcoat this, Gambit. Tell me what happened." 

There is a pause at the other end of the line. 

"I'm sorry, chere, but Logan ain' been himself lately. What with his adamantium gone, he been regressin' somethin' awful, and righ' now he worse than ever." 

She bows her head and sighs heavily. "No, not now, please." 

"We doin' all we can, petit. I know you didn' wanna find out like this, and I wish we could make it easier on you. No matter what happen' to 'im, though, he still thinkin' 'bout you. You know he ain' never gon' forget you." 

Her teeth gnash against her bottom lip. "Gambit, I have to tell you something." 

"What is it, chere?" 

She closes her eyes and inhales, standing for a few moments on the precipice of telling something him she knows -- something she cannot bear to tell. Not today. 

"I miss you guys." 

"We miss you too, Jubilee. You go on 'n' celebrate tonight, hear? You deserve it." 

"Thanks, Gambit. Talk to you later." 

Jubilee hangs up the phone and exhales, shaking her head in disbelief. 

"It's Wolverine, isn't it?" 

She looks up to see her classmate poking her head out the door. "Real smooth, Monet," Jubilee replies coldly. "You learning to eavesdrop from me or what?" 

"I apologize if my actions seem untoward to you," Monet replies. "I knew you were calling the X-Men to talk, and since you were upset-" 

"Save it," Jubilee interrupts, folding her arms tightly around her stomach. "It was *your* boyfriend's daddy that hurt Wolverine. He sucked the adamantium right out of him. Now he's changed into some kind of animal. (-1-) Do you know what that's like, Miss Perfect? You know what it's like to lose, like, one of your best friends ever like that?" 

"Yes," Monet replies. "I do." 

Jubilee sighs as she looks away. 

"You did not tell Gambit," says M. 

"Wha?" 

"About Rogue. You decided not to tell him." 

"Yeah. What a wimp out, huh?" 

"Not at all. Discretion is the better part of valor, Jubilee, and your discretion in choosing not to tell Gambit where Rogue is now should be applauded. He will find out sooner or later, true, but there was no need to cause him nor Rogue any worry over the matter at this point in time." 

Jubilee turns her head back toward Monet. "Just like we didn't have to worry about Emplate, huh?" 

"That comment was not necessary." 

"It was a joke, M. I don't think any of us would have admitted that was our brother, either, if we were in your shoes." 

Monet nods slightly but graciously. "Thank you." 

Jubilee grins. "So ya wanna load up Descent II now or what?" 

Monet opens the door to the computer lab. "After you." 

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

FOOTNOTES 

Part one 

(-1-) The incident in question happened in Gambit & The Externals #4, and it was first brought to Jubilee's attention in Chapter 6 of "The Mutants of Bucktown." 

(-2-) We first visited this place in Chapter 4 of "Double-Team." 

(-3-) See Chapter 6 of "360 Degrees" to read more about Emplate's possession of Synch. It's a little different than what you might think. 

(-4-) See Chapters 8-9 of "Double-Team." 

--- 

Part two 

(-1-) You can read about Jubilee's prowess at Descent, a very cool game from Interplay and Parallax Software, in Chapter 1 of "The Mutants of Bucktown." 

(-2-) See Part 1 of "Friday Night." 

--- 

Part three 

(-1-) See the "Fatal Attractions" crossover, around Wolverine #75 or so, as well as Wolverine #100-101 to see what he is now. 


End file.
